Red, white and do

Do you have a campaign plan for Tuesday night?

November 02, 2012|Tribune Newspapers

(Armando L. Sanchez, Chicago Tribune)

Election night approaches! Aside from the importance of casting your vote Tuesday (and yes, we are assuming every registered voter will be voting, but only once), there's the less critical yet undeniably riveting question: Just how will you be spending Tuesday night?

For some, presidential election nights make the very best reality TV: Who is winning Ohio? Which way will the House lean? He has advisers, and they actually let him wear that tie with that shirt?

Still others, feeling that voting was the highlight of their day, are more than happy to take a pass on watching all those pundits pundicize. They will wait for the official results Wednesday, thank you.

Many of us fall somewhere in between, eager to follow the election results but still a tad disappointed that our new favorite show, "The Mindy Project," will be pre-empted yet again.

In the interest of trying to please as great a percentage of the electorate as possible, a few Tribune staffers are offering some ways to make Tuesday night more entertaining, less contentious and/or simply bearable. Maybe some of these tips will get your vote:

You need a drink

Briar Brackney, co-beverage director at Vincent restaurant in Chicago, created the bipartisan Cast Your Ballots cocktail, a red, white and blue concoction that uses Michigan-based Journeyman Distillery's Bilberry Black Hearts gin because the flavor complements the blueberries and, she says, adds a subtle sweetness to balance the Campari's bitterness. But you can substitute any gin, vodka or white whiskey.

Blueberry simple syrup: Combine 2 cups each of sugar and water in a saucepan. Hand-crush 8 ounces fresh or thawed frozen blueberries; add to pan. Heat mixture to a slow simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar has dissolved and the mixture has a nice blue color. Remove pan from heat. Strain blueberries from liquid with a fine strainer; the syrup should have a deep blue tint. Let chill in fridge in a vented container; leftover syrup will keep refrigerated for up to a week. — Bill Daley

You want someone else to make the drink, Part 1: Schuba's Tavern, 3159 N. Southport Ave., will host an Election Night party beginning at 7 p.m. Tuesday for anyone of voting age. As the election returns unfold on a big screen, groan and cheer (and, we hope, laugh once in a while). Plus there'll be music by The Statutes of Liberty. Admission is not only free, but attendees also get a free red and blue Champagne toast. More info: schubas.com.

You want someone else to make the drink, Part 2: Find a watering hole closer to home at Metromix Chicago's roundup of bars hosting election-themed parties: Go to chicago.metromix.com.

Drive time: Here's a way to contribute to democracy and enjoy an afterglow. Contact a nearby nursing home or senior center, and find out if anyone needs a ride to the polls. Schedule a couple of trips. (Making things easier are the folks at Zipcar, who are offering half-price hourly rates during polling hours on Election Day — go to zipcar.com/zip-to-the-polls). When your shuttle service duties are complete, hang with your new friends to watch the returns. Chances are you'll hear some fabulous Herbert Hoover stories.

Prepare to multitask: As an election-night junkie, I find there invariably comes a point when a candidate I despise wins (actually, that happens a lot) and channel-changing won't make a whit of difference because every station is airing the same victory speech from that windbag, just to spite me. For these contentious chunks of time, hitting the mute button is not enough. Arm yourself with projects — nothing too elaborate but consuming enough to distract. You have a list, no doubt; I will be addressing Christmas card envelopes, shining shoes and/or cleaning up my recipe files. (Hopefully, I won't have the opportunity to do all three.)

Occupied kids: If you're watching with the little ones, consider entertaining them — and giving yourself a break from interruptions — by setting up a simple, self-directed craft project. Put out markers or crayons, poster board and maybe some stickers if you're feeling ambitious, and let the kids make their own political posters. The slogans alone will be worth the effort, and the artists can amuse themselves by waving their creations when the political action gets intense.